REC46 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae controls mitotic chromosomal stability, recombination and sporulation: cell-type and life cycle stage-specific expression of the rec46-1 mutation

The recessive hyperrecombination mutation rec46-1, isolated by ultraviolet light mutagenesis of the MAT alpha n+1 chromosome VII disomic strain LBL1 (Esposito et al. 1982), enhances the mitotic rates of spontaneous gene conversion, intergenic recombination and restitution of haploidy (due to chromosomal loss or mitotic nondisjunction) in MAT alpha n+1 chromosome VII disomic strains. The rec46-1 mutation does not prevent HO directed homothallic interconversion of mating types. MATa/MaT alpha rec46-1/rec46-1 diploids exhibit the same degree of hyperrecombinational activity as MAT alpha rec46-1 n+1 chromosome VII disomics with respect to gene conversion and intragenic recombination resulting in prototrophy. When compared to MAT alpha rec46-1 n+1 disomics however, MATa/MAT alpha rec46-1/rec46-1 diploids exhibit a ten fold reduced level of hyperrecombinational activity with respect to intergenic recombination and present no evidence of chromosomal loss or nondisjunction resulting in 2n-1 monosomic segregants. MATa/MAT alpha rec46-1/rec46-1 diploids are sporulation-deficient. The results obtained demonstrate that the REC46 gene product modulates mitotic chromosomal stability and recombination and is essential for sporulation (meiosis and ascospore formation).